With Klay Thompson out of the picture, the Golden State Warriors may face significant challenges in maintaining top-tier contention without another star player. While Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and other emerging NBA talents continue to carry the team, the Warriors might be hoping for a miracle addition to bolster their roster.
Rumors have surfaced suggesting that LeBron James could be that miracle. Sporting News writer Stephen Noh speculated on a possible team-up between two of the NBA’s greatest stars, Stephen Curry and LeBron James.
While Curry and James are set to play as teammates for the U.S. national team during the Summer Olympics in Paris, what if they extended that partnership into the next NBA season with the Golden State Warriors?
In theory, it’s possible. In practice, it’s improbable.
James just completed his sixth season with the Los Angeles Lakers, where they fell in a five-game, first-round playoff series to the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets. With a $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season, James could become a free agent this summer if he chooses to decline it.
Even at 39, James remains one of the NBA’s best players, averaging 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in his 21st season, while shooting 54% from the field and 41% from beyond the arc.
When asked after the Lakers’ playoff exit whether he might have played his last game for the team, James was cryptic, telling reporters, “I’m not going to answer that,” before walking off the podium.
The Lakers are reportedly eager to retain James, but the Warriors, facing salary cap constraints, would find it difficult to sign him outright. A sign-and-trade deal, necessary to absorb such a massive contract, would be complicated and could hard-cap the Warriors.
Challenges in Making the Deal Happen
This type of deal might have been easier to execute in February when Warriors owner Joe Lacob reportedly showed interest in James. Back then, a deal wouldn’t have required a sign-and-trade, and Klay Thompson’s expiring contract could have facilitated the move.
According to ESPN, Lacob had reached out to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss to inquire about James’ availability, but she referred him to James’ agent, Rich Paul, who made it clear that James wasn’t interested in a trade at that time.
For James to don a Warriors jersey, mutual interest would need to develop, and the Lakers would have to be willing to part with their star. Such a trade would likely cost the Warriors some of their best young players, significantly impacting how they could build their team in the future.
For all his enduring greatness, James will be 40 by the next postseason, while Curry will be 37, and Draymond Green will be 35. Adding James might make the Warriors more talented in the short term but would also make them older and more top-heavy, raising questions about their long-term viability.
James himself added to the speculation by addressing his future on social media, stating, “I’ve seen, heard a lot of reports about my future. I said it last night and I’ll say it again. I do not know yet as I’m only thinking about spending time with my family & friends! When I know after speaking with the fam, my counsel as well as my representation about it then you guys will know.”
Whether or not this blockbuster move ever materializes, the prospect of James joining forces with Curry in Golden State remains an intriguing possibility.
